Anne Frank: A Heroine for All Time

Introduction

The time is W.W.II. The place is German occupied Europe. You are a member of a Jewish family who is being hunted by the Nazis. Neighbors and friends disappear each day without a trace. With the borders to free countries closed and passports no longer being issued, your family members and you have nowhere to escape. So you go into hiding. This is the world of Anne Frank. She has personalized the Holocaust more than the facts or historical documents ever could. Anne Frank was a real teenager with hopes, worries, plans, and a promising future before her. She was a creative writer and actress. However, her life was eradicated because of Hitler and the Holocaust. Her lasting contribution to humanity is that we learn about the shame, the waste, and the horror of this time period. Anne brings the enormity of the Holocaust down to one, understandable real life. In doing so, she endures and remains eternal. Read on to see that her legacy continues and some of the problems she faced have not all vanished.

Resources

Here is some background information that you should understand before going to one of the longer tasks at the end of the website. Return to this webquest at end of each set of questions. Just go to Bookmark.

  • Click on first website Anne Frank on Broadway

    Why did the authors of this site choose this graphic? Why is it a good introduction to this topic?
    • Click on Resources on the bottom of the page.
    • Click on Remembrance
    • Scroll and click on Anne Frank On-line
    • Click on Anne Frank Life and Times
    • Click on Anne's Story. Read and click on NEXT to learn about Anne Frank.

    • Return to first website Anne Frank on Broadway

    • Why did the Franks go into hiding?
    • Where did they go?
    • Who helped them while they were in hiding?
    • Who also went into hiding with them?
    • What event caused the Franks to go into hiding before their hiding place was ready?
    • How did they leave false clues to their whereabouts?

  • Go to the next website The Story of the Diary

  • Click on Selected Entries from the Diary
  • Read the sample entries from Anne's Diary and answer these questions.
  • How do the people in the annex know what is happening to the Jews?
  • Based on what Anne says about the resisters, what would be the fate of Mr. Kraler and Miep?
  • Why does Anne think her diary will become famous?
  • Do you think Anne was courageous eventhough she showed her fear?

  • Go to the next website

    Excerpts from the testimony of Rachel G

  • How was Rachel not taken to a concentration camp?
  • Give two examples how priests and nuns helped her.
  • Why was Rachel resentful towards her parents?

  • Go to the next website

    Zlata Filipovic Speaks About the Horrors Of War in Sarajevo

  • Read the declarations at the Children's World Conference?
  • Read from Zlata's diary at the end of the site noticing the similarities and differences in the situations of Anne and Zlata?

    Tasks

    Choose one of the following writing activities (a script or an editorial )after reading both of the choices.
    1. Using the xeroxed model for a script change the diary entry into a play.

    2. Using the direction sheet, write an editorial to a local newspaper where you express your opinion for the rights of children. Use details from your knowledge of Anne Frank, the Children's World Conference, and Zlata to support your opinion. Follow the rubric.

    Evaluation.

  • Keep in mind that each of the tasks has a separate rubric. Review that before beginning the task.

    Conclusion

    At this point you should have gained a real sense of Anne's significance both for her time period and today. We own a legacy to her and to those who follow in her footsteps.